By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School softball team kept it close most of the way but ultimately lost 11-3 to visiting Northwest Conference champion Lincolnview in a makeup game on a hot Friday evening, May 16.

The rivals, who finished one-two in the league last year, were locked in a  1-0 duel through three innings. The Lancers took control with a four-run fourth, then put the game out of reach with four more scores on two home runs in the seventh.

The deep Lancer lineup smacked four home runs to power its way to victory in a deceptive final score.

Ada managed seven hits off hard-throwing Lancer freshman ace Ila Hughes, the NWC Player of the Year. But the Lincolnview power and defense spelled the difference.
It was the first loss in 11 home games for the Bulldog girls this season.

The Bulldogs fell to 19-4 overall with the defeat that snapped their five-game win streak. 

The Lancers improved to 23-3 after the win. Hughes led them to a 7-0 NWC record as they shut out their league opposition in all seven conference contests by a combined score of 80-0.

“Our bat contact was good, she only had eight strikeouts,” said Lady Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “If we wouldn’t have made some errors it would have been a tight game.”

The Bulldog girls were out-hit by the Lancers, 10-7.
Ada senior Jenna Bassitt gave up an Ashlyn Price single pulled down the right field line in between two long fly ball outs in the top of the first. But she finished the frame with a called third strike.

Hughes struck out Bassitt looking to open the bottom of the first. Emily Shanks deadened a fine bunt towards third and beat it out for a single. She then swiped second and moved to third on a passed ball.

After fouling off several fast balls, Natilyn McClain struck out. Tess Griffith then grounded out to second to end the threat and strand Shanks.  

In the Lancer second, the leadoff batter Grace Brickner lined out to Shanks at shortstop. Allie Miller hit a deep fly that Griffith gloved in center field. Sylvia Longstreth hit a sinking liner to left that Dailah Preston made a fine sliding catch on her knees to end the half inning.

After a strikeout, Aidra Preston lined a double that skipped past the center fielder to the wall. A called strikeout was followed by a Dailah Preston grounder to the first baseman unassisted to end the second.

Lancer Emma Bowersock lined a double to left field opening the third. Then came a key play. Kassidy Hammons popped up a bunt, but it went over the head of hard-charging first baseman Aidra Preston.

Bassitt picked up the ball but threw high over Karley Wagner covering first, and Bowersock scampered home. Emerson Walker laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Bassitt recovered to retire the last two batters and keep the score 1-0.

Bulldog Alainee Buxton drew a walk leading off the third. Bassitt grounded into a fielder’s choice, shortstop to second. But Hughes got a big strikeout and finished the frame on a grounder to shortstop.

The Lancers put together a big four-run fourth to earn some breathing room. Lainey Spear was hit by a pitch leading off, and Brickner then beat out a bunt to third. Miller then moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt to Bassitt. 

Bassitt got a strikeout, but then Bowersock lined a crucial opposite field three-run homer over the right field fence to build a 4-0 lead.

Hammons walked and stole second, and she scored after Walker singled to left field when the ball was bobbled to make it 5-0. Price then flew out to Griffith in center, but big damage was done.

Griffith led off with a hard ground single to left in the Ada fourth. Wagner laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Aidra Preston ripped a single to center field to plate Griffith and cut the margin to 4-1.

A Lancer throwing error and a wild pitch advanced Preston to third. Reese Jordan flew out to center field as Preston held at third. Dailah Preston grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.

In the top of the fifth, Spear drilled a long solo home run over the scoreboard beyond the left-center fence for a 5-1 lead. Bassitt then retired the last two hitters.

Buxton led off the Ada fifth by working another walk. Bassitt lifted a soft line squibber in front of the bag at second, but after a bobble the Lancers got a key out on a close force play at second.

Shanks ripped a single to left field. McClain smoked an RBI double high off the fence in right-center field to score Bassitt with the second Ada run. Griffith then lifted a long sacrifice fly to center to bring home Shanks and make it 6-3.

Wagner then grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jordan made a nice catch of a foul pop leading off the sixth. Bowersock popped out, but Hammons reached when her grounder to shortstop took a slightly bad final hop. She stole second and moved to third on a passed ball.

Walker then lined a sharp single to drive in Hammons and make it 7-3. Price singled to right, and Hughes was walked intentionally to load the bases. The strategy worked when Dailah Preston caught Spear’s long fly ball in left field to strand three. 

Jordan roped a one-out single in the Ada sixth, but a soft liner and a grounder back to Hughes ended the frame.

Lancer power broke the game open in the seventh. Miller drew a one-out walk, and Longstreth poked a long two-run homer over the wall in left-center to extend the lead to 9-3.

Bowersock walked and Hammons hammered a home run over the center field fence to make it 11-3.

Jordan relieved Bassitt and after an error, retired the next two hitters on ground balls to second and third.

In the bottom of the seventh, Bassitt and Shanks struck out looking. McClain then whiffed on a change-up to end the game.

Shanks had two hits, a run and two steals. Aidra Preston slugged a double and single, had one RBI and stole a base. McClain doubled in a run, just missing her ninth homer of the season.

Griffith singled in a run and scored once. Jordan singled and pitched 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief. 

Junior Buxton coaxed two walks. Bassitt scored a run.

Bassitt gave up 10 hits and seven earned runs in six and one-third innings to suffer just her fourth loss in 23 decisions. She walked four, whiffed three and gave up four homers. Fifty-seven of her 91 pitches were strikes or put in play.

Hughes scattered seven hits over seven innings. She walked two and struck out eight, and gave up three earned runs.

Bowersock slugged a home run and a double. Her three-run circuit blast may have been the key hit of the game.

Hammons hit a bunt single and a two-run blast. Longstreth and Spear homered, and Price hit two singles. Walker stroked an RBI single, and Brickner had a bunt hit.

“We made good contact but kind of hurt ourselves defensively,” Bassitt summed up. “They gained the momentum on our errors.”

Ada committed four errors, and the Lancers made one miscue.

The Bulldogs suffered their first loss at home this season to fall to 10-1 at the Ada park.
Ada plays Columbus Grove (5-15) in the district semifinals at Bath Tuesday, May 20. The winner advances to the finals May 22.  Ada blanked CG 10-0 earlier this season. 
    123     456     7     R     H     E

Lvw 001 411 4 11 10 1
Ada 000 120 0 3 7 4
WP-Hughes LP-Bassitt (19-4)    
2B-A. Preston (A), Bowersock (L), McClain (A)

HR-Bowersock (L), Spear (L), Longstreth (L), Hammons (L)